After 18 months of dating a sports fanatic (and when I say sports fanatic, I mean he could be a commentator), I have learned a lot about men in general and specifically sports fans. Some women can watch sports on their own and make flawless commentary. I’m not that type of girl and I never have been really…until now. It took over a year for me but these stages can happen over the course of one season of football or may come to you after an NBA Playoff series, but it will happen nonetheless. What stage are you at in your relationships? Find out the 5 stages below.
Stage 1: Protest and Denial
You protest and claim to know nothing about football, basketball, soccer or said sport. You deny loyalty to any one team in particular or feign allegiance to a team that you follow because of a brother, ex or hometown preference. You may have never even been to a game or purchased a ticket yourself.
Stage 2: Fake Interest
I wont sugarcoat this. Sometimes you fake interest to be amenable and get to know your significant other when the relationship first starts out. It’s fun to learn about their interests but if you are just not a sports girl, it’s not going to happen over night. WARNING: Be careful of the bandwagon.
Stage 3: warming up to the takeover
Your social media and mobile apps become inundated with their team’s content. To be honest, your best bet is to download the NBA or NFL Live app for up to date scores and game times. Get to know your boo’s March Madness picks and set up a Google alert for his favorite players if he’s involved with a Fantasy squad. If you’re expecting your beau for a date and you get a notification that a playoff game just started or a major player was injured, be prepared to push that back or find the patience to deal with him constantly checking on the score or updates. Is this a big extreme? Yes, but remember you’re dating a sports fanatic.
Stage 4: Genuine Interest
You start to recognize players and stay on top of team news and changes. You form a bond with your boo’s team and sometimes root for them when you watch games. You might even plan a date around watching a game.
Stage 5: Engagement and enjoyment
You own your boo’s team t-shirts and wear your jersey proudly for every game. In fact, you actually won’t watch a game without some form of sports nalia. You’re officially a fan and can carry on full conversations about why a particular player is overrated or what a team really needs to win. You know to always run the ball when Marshawn Lynch is involved and you know who’s in the running for NBA MVP this year. You protest as to why Russell Westbrook is no longer up for the prize but understand that best team trumps best player sometimes.
With that said, acceptance does not signify a defeat on your part. It actually provides a great opportunity for you. For one, you know what to buy your honey for every birthday, holiday and anniversary and two, you can leverage your new interest into future Beyonce tickets and shopping trips or whatever else your heart desires. That’s what relationships are all about anyway; reciprocity, balance and building yourself through your mate.
